Kervallion

The party reconnect with the old neighbourhood

Done with the Business and pleasure of noble politics the party rushed off to try and stop James Solen’s attack on Joanna and Zorias but by the time they arrived James had been driven off by local elves although not without casualties. Thia gave the elves a story to tell the guards before swapping cloaks with Joanna. The party went to visit Vigo, the witnesses to James’s actions would be viewed as relatively unreliable including the party’s so Vigo offered to officially deputise the party so this would be less of a problem in the future an offer all but Rolan Nailò took up with nothing more to be done they retired to the Zahn estate.

Between the now usual perimeter searching Mark went to Sariel to address what she’d seen in his meeting with James. Mark claimed that he had been magically charmed and that was why he had given away the information and the portable hole, he also asked that she not tell anyone else in the party for the moment she agreed. Mark did do some research on magical charming but for the moment found little, The story he told the rest of the party was that he remembered nothing of the conversation so they came up with theories involving pickpocketing the portable hole or altering Marks memory. Rolan and Thia went to talk to Vancill who told them that with the recent deaths many in the deep woods were angry and out for blood, and Rolan promised to bring James to the deep woods for them if he could as the party developed plans to sneak some of Vancills elves into the Imperial district. Back at the Zahn estate Moosa had been acting as a scribe for Joanna he did briefly stop when he found a blasted raven corpse in the portable hole, not knowing what it was or what it was doing there naturally he had it sent to a taxidermist to be stuffed.

The party needed to talk to Vancill about the recent elf deaths, on the way Moosa stopped to talk to Giles and Mark talked to some of the merchants he used to know, the stories they heard were of elf thugs citizens threatening human merchants, some of Marks old friends compared Vancill to Gamlan and expected Mark to go and deal with hi in a similar manor, Moosa told Giles to pac up his store and be ready lo leave. At Vancills conversation was tense with Vancill reacting badly to the accusations particularly the comparisons to Gamlen, he brought up ho much longer ho had been working in Avissium for the elves than the party and the problems some of the human merchants had given him in the past. When he suggested that for reconciliation with come of the merchants it was to late Thia left is disgust taking Rolan and Sariel with her. Moosa asked to see the brother of the elf that had been killed by Erin Hastings during his failed intimidation. Moosa challenged the elf to a fistfight but then simply stood there being hit until the elf broke down crying. For the moment the party seemed to be losing Vancill as an ally it also seemed that Vancill might have been losing control of his people either way Avissium seemed to be coming back into troubled times…

The party dance then scheme then panic

Having survived Things unseen the party were to attend a Vontaren ball and see what they could find out about their would be assassin. Vigo got them access to the tailor Gilroy (& sons) and they all had custom outfits made. The elves all went with outfits that boldly declared their elven heritage and Moosa wore a militaristic outfit, Mark in contrast planned to blend in. Soon the day arrived and the whole party went with Joanna to the Vontaren's estate, Mark having been announced as "scholar and gentleman Mark Valor" drew some attention as he tried to mingle, he lost some attention after admitting that he was from the The Sages league but soon found himself some companions and began gathering information (not all of it relevant). Thia ran into Vigo and ended up asking him to dance which he accepted, meanwhile Moosa, Rolan, and Sariel were escorting Joanna through the crowds but as soon as conversation dried up Rolan asked Joanna o dance to the surprise of all. This left Moosa and Sariel alone only briefly until they were called into a conversation with Erin Hastings during which Moosa brought p the prospect of the Hastings doing business with the Hastings, an idea Erin seemed interested in as she organised to meet with Moosa the next day. Mark ended up in a conversation with James Solen who was apparently a mage working for the Vontarens. While Rolan explaned his history with nobility to Joanna and Thia talked with Vigo about Rolan, Moosa and saw a situation developing between Lord Straff Vontaren and Lord Randal Hastings apparently their families were old rivals and Randal was getting drunk. Moosa stepped in and took Randal aside offering the family again a deal with Zorias and encoraging the Hasting to go hame for now. by this time Mark had moved to the balcony were he found Elend Vontaren hiding out and reading, engaging in conversation Mark found Elend more interested in reform than dancing and the two spent converced about the position of elves in Kervallion. Thia meanwhile had found out from Vigo that the inviiable intruder they had defeated was a Ander Solen mage of the Hastings family brother to James, information she passed on to the rest of the party as they began to leave.

At dawn Moosa and Thia got up and buisness begun. First stop Zorias to pitch potential business deals with the Zahn and Hastings families offers which he could hardly refuse. Next stop Vancill to arrange some thugs local elves to scare off Erin Hastings before she could talk to Zorias. Then a stop off at Giles's to commission a breastplate, before taking Zorias, Joanne and the rest of the party to the Zahn estate, Zorias was nervous about actually being in Kervallion for the first time and Moosa was having some problems with the rest of the group questioning his ideas but on tehy went. The group got little positive reception from Joanna's mother Lady Joyce Zahn as Zorias pitched standing staves but argumed from Joanna supported by the group led unexpectedly to Joyce handing control of the family business over to Joanna. Moosa however still had work to do as he arrived to pick up Erin Hastings. Things did not go entirly as planned as Erin killed one of the "attacking" elves Moosa had organised and sent away the rest moving successfully on to negotiate with Zorias.

That night Zorias arrived at the party's home and prepared a heroes feast to celebrate his new success. A needed distraction as Mark had taken the opportunity to talk to Vigo and was becoming worried about retribution from James Solen. That night the party set up traps, alarms and partols but saw nothing more suspicious than an unusually attentive crow, that is untill the morning when Mark found a note apparently from James asking to meet at a local pub. The party were nervous so they sent Joanna to stay with Zorias, Thia planned to hide nearby, Moosa and Rolan hid in the portable hole and Sariel shifted into a small spider and hid on marks person. Mark arrived found James and began talking about previous jobs, soon he was finding he had a lot in common, James wasnt so bad after all somehow Mark found himself telling James where Joanna was as well as where the rest of the party was hiding before handing over the portable hole with Moosa and Rolan inside. Thia saw James give the portable hole to his raven as it flew off, this was unacceptable so she blew it out of the sky. Mark came to his sences and attacked but James teleported away potentially to were he knew Joanna was…

The party have more house guests than they expected

Days passed and the party continued their Babysitting job the task falling mostly on Moosa as Joanna’s training continued. Rolan and Sariel spent some time outside the city visiting the forest, Thia was seen mostly studying with Ennith and Mark researched. It was during the night at the party’s home while Thia was out and most were sleeping that Mark somehow detected signs of an invisible intruder. Soon the whole household were alerted and trying to track/fight their invisible intruder. There attacker was apparently a mage of some experience certainty more than Thia as Sariel found herself frozen and near death before the fight was won. Moosa left some flour in the hall outside Joanna’s room as there was little that could be done should another invisible attacker come.

Searching the body Mark found a note with a description of Joanna, a promice of reward and a noble crest. The note and the body were taken to Vigo who was able to identify the crest as belonging to the Vontaren family. The vontarens would benefit from Joanna’s death but most of them wouldn’t leave the crest around to find. before he left Mark expressed an interest in working actively in resolving the situation rather than just acting as bodyguards and sure enough the next day he received six invitations to the Vontaren’s upcoming ball along with the address of Gilroy & sons a tailor and soon the party were being fitted for fine formal wear.

As part of the preparation Mark acquired from Zorias an enchantment on the vest he had taken from “Skinny” Pete that would allow him to slow fall, Rolan bought some fire bombs (as is tradition for a noble ball) and Moosa had made a polish brush enchanted with Zorias’s unique cleaning and freshening enchantment. On the way back the party found itself again confronted with hooded thugs citizens this time with a mage accompanying them the fight was difficult and Mark was tragically killed by a fire spell before the foes could be defeated. The remaining members swore revenge and that they would find who had hired their attackers at the upcoming ball…

The party plays host

spending their time living The high life in the Imperial district the party had been attacked in the streets by poison wielding assassins on their way home, surviving the encounter they took a rest before meeting with Vigo in the morning. Vigo explained that the attack was probably aimed to deny him the party as a resource and suggested that Varlan was likely responsible he did not however ask the party to act as assassins themselves as Moosa expected instead they were tasked with protecting a noblewoman likely to be assassinated, a task they accepted. Vigo had told the party that in the Imperial district since King Richard had fallen ill and Renwick took charge assassination seemed a common occurrence as people and factions vied for power and influence one set of assassins had come after the party but if they continued to grow in power and remained visible there may yet be more.

The noblewoman in question turned out to be a Joanna Zahn a 19 year old heiress to a once powerful family whose previous bodyguard had suffered a fatal “accident”. They took her back to their new house without the family’s servants and Thia offered her room. Most of the party more or less welcomed their new guest, Rolan however kept his distance and was rude when around Joanna apparently brought up bad memories he did do his part patrolling for foes. The next morning Mark discovered that one of his new daggers had gone missing eventually finding Joanna had taken it, this led to Moosa and Thia spending the day training her with daggers and crossbows while the rest of the group went out for some investigating. Joanna’s father had died the previous year leaving her the heir to the family since then she had been locked away. Rolan questioned the park groundskeeper Boothby about who would gain from her death and was told that the most likely outcome was another family would take over if the Zahn family fully fell. Mark and Sariel tried to gain some background detail on Vigo and while they didn’t get much they did begin forming a theory that he planned to marry the girl for her inheritance.

While this was going on it was Moosa’s job to watch Joanna so he wasn’t happy to see that she had apparently fled out a window he tracked her as far as the markets before meeting up with Mark and Sariel and the druid was able to track the girl as a wolf. the group found her to “the trustworthy thief” a tavern in the lower parts of the city where she was participating in a back room card game which the trio joined in. There are few occasions where the party visit places such as this that f a fight does not break out and this was no exception and so soon Moosa and bear form Sareil were fighting thugs gamblers in a crowded back room while Mark dragged Joanne outside to meet up with Thia and Rolan and soon after Vancill’s elves needless to say they won. back home there was an awkward encounter as the party disagreed about how to deal with Joanne, they did agree to let Rolan place an alarm enchantment around her room.

The next day the party took Joanne of a tour of the city visiting some of their trusted allies finding many of them better off than they had last met as Ennith was recovering, Giles’s business was coming along and Zorias had apparently sold twenty standing staves to Vigo. Things were beginning to look up slightly Thia’s opinion with Joanne had greatly deteriorated but she wanted the job done she wanted the money and influence to join the Grand Academy and maybe find some information on Liyanana. The party had kept the girl safe for now but there were sure to be assassins eventually so they would have to be ready…

The party find new accommodations

Having just had The last word on crime in AvissiumMark Valor and Moosa had a meeting with the Martial of Kervallion Vigo who explained his understanding of the situation and congratulated on causing enough trouble that Vigo was allowed to move the guard outside the Imperial district. Thia, Rolan and Sariel were collected by guardsmen from their celebration with Vancill and joined the rest of the group plus Vigo at “the Golden Opportunity” were they enjoyed probably the best meal they had ever had. Vigo offered them employment and a new house both offers they accepted and found themselves in possession of a four storey building in the Imperial district.

The party were later tasked by Vigo to escort a group of guardsmen through the worse parts of Avissium where they fought of some thugs cobblers from what was Gamlan’s organisation, the party made a point of keeping the guards away from anything implication in the “Deep woods”. later they were tasked with contacting the leader of the elvish crime group and negotiating an arrangement between them and Vigo, attempting to disguise their knowledge and involvement with the crime group the party agreed and took some time in contacting Vancill and negotiating on Vigo’s behalf. Vancill was sceptical of the deal but agread on the condition that when what he saw as an inevitable conflict arose the party would be on his side they agreed, Rolan especially so.

In the time that they were apparently tracking down the elvish crime leader the party took to other tasks, Moosa contacted Giles and sent him off to a waystation involved with the transport of raw materials necessary to his business with instructions to arrange a new understanding, he also hired some apprentices and set them to cleaning Giles’s home and workshop. Thia visited Ennith to learn some new spells (and encorage her to visit Zorias), Mark eventually came around to help her recover from the attacks on her home. The party also found the time to visit Zorias who was all to happy that they had sent Ennith his way, this time Mark bought a couple of health potions and Rolan purchased some scabbards that could shape to fit his swords.

The party now had access to the Imperial district most of the party were living in their new house all except Rolan who was sleeping in a local park in a tree having come to some arrangement with the caretaker Boothby. Mark and Thia visited the church of Kervallion, Mark taking the opportunity to leave an offering to Elgara. It was also in the Imperial district that a stranger slipped Mark a note warning him not to trust Vigo. The party didn’t spent all their time in the Imperial district though they made regular trips to “The Deep Woods” to associate with the peoplethere it was on their way back from such a trip that cloaked assassins attacked them with poisoned blades the party however won the fight and found a note on the bodies with their descriptions…

The party ends gang violence

Still recovering from The fall of the house of Valor and the attack on Ennith’s academy the party were all to willing to join Vancill in going after Gamlan. After a brief stop off to “the deep woods” to collect what they had left there. With Vancill, One Ear and some of Vancill’s men the party marched to Gamlen’s estate. While their allies attacked the front door Mark and Rolan tried to scale the building while Moosa, Thia and Sariel found a trapped basement entrance in the back. Mark had some difficulty using his new climbing kit and ended up on the ground dodging as Rolan threw crossbowmen out a window down at him. Soon enough all were inside and many foes were dead and the group made its way up to Gamlen’s office where they were faced with the age old problem of how to safely open a foes door, in the end Moosa opened it while Mark was trying his thieves tools leaving Mark in the doorway when Gamlen attacked. In the fight that followed Gamlen fled form his office to a hallway to his bedroom and the party followed killing many a thug retainer on the way. Rolan was injured and Sariel’s bear form was temporary defeated but soon Gamlen found himself burned and terribly clawed in a burning room before mark who had again climbed the outside of the building stabbed him with his rapier from behind and pulled him out the window down four floors.

Thia hung around in the smoke and flame long enough to quickly loot one of Gamlens safes before the group climbed out a window and down to meet up with Vancill and what remained of his group they watched as a small army of Gamles’s men all of them ready to take over, until the absent Avissium guard horse suddenly arrived and begun cutting down Gamlen’s men. Vancill took the opportunity to take his men and leave asking the group to stay behind and deal with this new situation, of the party only Mark and Moosa stayed to see The Lord Martial of Kervallion arrive and introduce himself. Vigo said that he was a fan and invited the pair back to his office to talk and so they went…

Marks house was sacrificed for the greater good

Having saved Ennith and caused The sad end of skinny Pete the party was met by men who filled them in on Gamlan’s counterattack, Ennith’s students were captured and in immediate danger but at the same time men were going to burn Mark’s house down, given the choice they went to rescue the students. The group went to a warehouse some of them had briefly almost visitedRolan and Moosa tried to boost Mark up to the second story unsuccessfully, Sariel however was able to transform into a giant spider and easily climb up and throw a rope down, Mark however was still unable to get up. Making the most of the situation Mark successfully bluffed his way in the front door. Rolan’s stealth failed but the subsequent fight went well (Sariel had a fire sword) and the students were rescued unfortunately in that time Mark’s house was lost.

The group returned to Enniths to rest, Mark noticed how hard the recent attacks had hit Ennith and tried to comfort her with some limited success. After their rest Vancill turned up apparently Gamlen had attacked “the deep woods” while they slept it was damaging but they were fought off also the thugs property investors responsible for the destruction of Marks house were dealt with. The group were however invited to a final attack against Gamlen, Ennith wanted Vancill and his men gone and closed the magical field behind the party as they left. Before the attack however Moosa had the money from “Skinny” Pete’s vault and a plan.

At Zorias’s Moosa asked to open a line of credit with four thousand of the gold and the party began shopping. Multiple fresh potions were purchased, Moosa bought a portable hole for the group, Rolan inquired about fire scimitars but found them to expensive for now, Mark picked up a immovable rod climbing kit and Sariel was able to acquire a old elven talisman containing druidic knowledge. Finally Zorias hit them with his own personal prestidigitation cleaning them and their clothing applying a light scent and reasserting his mark on their armour with this they were ready to go off and face Gamlen…

Avissium erupts into violence

After The temporary transfer of a house in Avissium. The usual group returned to Mark Valor’s house to supply and regroup the plan was to go to “Skinny” Pete’s manor before he could reallocate his men, knowing this and what the likely consequences would be One Ear and most of the rest of Vancill’s men set off to strike against Gamlan. After a short rest the group did indeed go over to Pete’s manor Moosa’s initial attempts to sneak in failed but was then able to distract the front guard while posing as a rat catcher, everyone else was able to sneak forward. Pete was spotted arguing with his guards (who Mark knew as “Mike and Ike”) and was caught by surprise when Rolan and Thia suddenly appeared using the old tecnicues tought by Longwood Rolan pinned Pete to the ground with magical vines and roots and Thia killed him with a magical barrage the result was surprising and messy, Thia used this to intimidate the remaining guards into fleeing and keys where taken from an assistant.

The group set about searching the Manor debating whether they could keep the place. In Pete’s office as well as more evidence of Pete’s hatred for mark the group found some exceedingly valuable wine, around five thousand gold and some custom made arrows apparently made to seek Mark Valor the arrows were destroyed by Thia. Thia also took as much jewelry, wine, food and clothing as she could carry, Mark also grabbed a fancy presumably expensive vest. Eventually the group became aware of the violence and fire throughout the rest of the city as Vancills “Greenblood Alliance” attacked. Rolan and Sariel found a secret escape tunnel back to the street and the group took it. They made it back to Marks place after a small skirmish with some ThugsRioters pedestrians but they were not able to rest long before a large group was seen approaching and they hid in a nearby alleyway. Their apparent leader one Eras Nale apparently worked for Gamlen and called out the group threatening to burn down Mark’s house. Unwilling to see that happen Mark and Rolan took to the rooftops and taunted their foes leading to a dangerous chase across the rooftops with arrows flying behind while the rest of the group snuck off to the “deep woods”.

Mark and Rolan were successful for a time but eventually Mark fell unwilling to leave him behind Rolan went down to him and carried him away. Fortunately they had lost most of their pursuers and were able to successfully ambush those who remained. The fight however left Mark severally injured so the duo visited Zorias’s store which happened to be close enough. Though Zorias was tired having just been woken he was able to sell a health potion an a theatre/disguise mask to Mark (its probably legal). Mark selected a female elf mask and indeed found himself apparently transformed into a female elf and the two made it back to the “Deep woods”. In the morning when Marks mask had worn off he received a message from Ennith little could be made out but that she was in danger so the group went to the local academy. After another unfortunate incident with the enchanted stairs the group found Eras Nale with some thugs new students and an apparently unconscious Ennith. Mark who fairly or not had his name attached to much of what had happened in the last few weeks was offered a chance to surrender to Gamlen to save his friends and he was about to when Thia launched fire at Eras from her hiding place unfortunately he was able to pull up Ennith to block some of it and set off something causing a large field of mist to conceal him and his allies, Thia responded with web and fire. Eras fled with Ennith, Moosa and Rolan jumped awkdly down after him, Mark followed by sliding down a stair railing, Thia and Sariel remained to fight the remaining foes.

Eventually Mark, Moosa and Rolan caught up to Eras who had a blade to Enniths throat. In a somewhat desperate measure Moosa threw his rapier and was actually successful in hitting Eras and knocking him away from Ennith, Rolan got an arrow off but Eras survived and recovered his greataxe. In a somewhat desperate measure of his own Mark charged and was somehow able to slip his rapier past Eras’s guard killing him while declaring that “discretion is the better part of Valor” Eras did not have long to enjoy the wordplay for he soon died.

“Skinny” Pete was dead, Eras was dead and Ennith was alive but it was clear that Gamlen would respond and the violence would continue until Gamlen or Vancill was dead Mark, Thia, Rolan, Moosa and Sariel were caught very much in the middle of this conflict…

The party spends the night in the deep woods

In the night after a local mob office burnt down while Thia Nailo was standing watch outside Mark Valor’s home an elf approached. He had come from their new “friend” Vancill and warned of an imminent attack from “Skinny” Pete, he advised that the group should flee, and flee they did. Taking what they could carry (which apparently included Mark’s strongbox and Moosa’s nice stool) the group travelled to “the deep woods” (ignoring Rolan’s advice to go to the literal deep woods) and found accommodations waiting for them with local families. Mark also found the time to return the money Willem had taken from the local merchants who warned him about traveling out in the open right now.

In the morning Thia gave some coin to their host and the group went to speak with Vancill. He asked about their raid on the mob office, how much they got (4976 gp), and if any of it could be donated to the “cause”. Mark was nervous because he remembered his considerable debt to Vancill ever since that thing, when he told the group they where none to pleased, arguing publicly about how much they had, how much they owed and who “owned” mark. In the end Moosa gave Vancill all the money they had grabbed from that office. Vancill offered them a place to stay and some advice, they should kill “Skinny” Pete.

The party begun to plan a trap for Pete and/or his guards, Mark went home and provoked what turned out to be eight foes, he then fled to a chosen alleyway while Moosa covered him, in the alleyway the thugs victims were met with a web spell cast to block the exit. One Ear and his chosen with Rolan, the druid Sariel and Mark was able to escape with a pre-prepared rope set up. Between Thia raining down spells, One Ear, Rolan and Moosa arriving with to many crossbows and Sariel in a bear form the ambush was highly successful with little injury on the party’s side.
“Skinny” Pete was not among he slain but most of his guards were, the party resolved to go to him and kill him, with the knowledge that this would likely provoke Gamlan

the party makes a nuisance of themselves

When Mark Valor returned to Avissium he didn’t find his usual companions where he expected them. He did find, of all things, a druid who he had previously encountered. The two visited Zorias who at the sight of a new potential customer was all too willing to do business. From him they heard tales of the group’s Firefight in the streets and elvish rescue. Zorias however, did not miss the opportunity to apply more sponsorship and sell a couple of potions.

intrepid adventurers Thia, Rolan and Moosa were being questioned by the Elven enforcer One Ear in elvish disregarding Moosa’s inability to speak it. That meeting swiftly concluded they met Vancill, apparently the leader of the elvish crime syndicate. It seemed he had been looking for an excuse to strike against Gamlan and the party’s capture proved an ample opportunity. Thia was given a token to show if ever they desperately needed help and informed that they would surely pay back the favour. Before they left Thia and Rolan took the opportunity to debate whether elves should integrate into human society or try to return to a more traditional forest life.

The whole party was finally able to meet up compare stories, stop briefly before splitting up again (albeit in different configurations) to purchase hammocks and visit Ennith, Moosa ran into Giles who told him that with mob pressures he couldn’t acquire the materials he needed. Meanwhile Mark told Ennith about how they where in something of a feud with “Skinny” Pete which did worry her so she gave him a small magical artifact that he could use to contact her in an emergency. On the way back both groups saw a group of thugs wellwishers at Mark’s house and some miscommunication led to further violence this time however Mark’s druid friend, Sariel, was able to turn into a lion to help things alongside the usual crossbows and fire. Moosa took what weapons where salvageable and the party moved on.

The party contemplated how to resolve their problems with “Skinny” Pete. Asking around with Smiths they found no local help but did find out about a way station materials moved through. They decided against going there, instead they resolved to attack the extortionist working in the markets. Willem was his name and he was soon kidnapped and taken back to Mark’s house and violently interrogated giving the party the location of his office, Mark hid away the merchant’s gold and the group set off. With Willem as a prop Mark was able to get the door open leading swiftly into another fight this time including Moosa being hit with maces, Sariel blocking the door in bear form and a bottle of alchemist’s fire going off inside. While Mark and Rolan tracked one of their fleeing foes back to an establishment called the Honourable fiend, Moosa and Thia where able to quickly get the safe open and collect as much as they could grab from inside.

The party had entered into a violent feud with the criminal “Skinny” Pete and aligned themselves with the potentially dangerous Vancill in a town with no guard presence. Things where going to get even more violent and bloody before they resolved.